Past Events

The 21st Annual Scholarship & Industry Awards Gala, hosted by COMTO Northern California, brought together leaders, professionals, and champions in celebration of transportation.

This gala was more than an awards ceremony. It celebrated the power of education, mentorship, and community as we honor the outstanding contributions of industry leaders and rising stars.

COMTO Northern California is dedicated to breaking barriers and ensuring that the transportation industry reflects the diversity of our communities. This gala supported their mission to provide scholarships that empower students from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue their academic and career goals in transportation.

*MTI was a proud Norman Mineta Scholarship sponsor.

Riding comfortably in the rain can be easy and fun by planning ahead and using a bit of additional gear. At this free, in-person workshop Bike East Bay talked about:

• Seeing and being seen in the rain and low light conditions
• Equipment to consider
• Clothing and accessories options
• Keeping yourself and your bike clean
• How to improve bike handling and avoid crashes on wet streets

*MTI was a proud co-sponsor of this workshop.

WTS-SF Bay Area and the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) of San Jose State hosted this free virtual event "Connect for Your Career: An Introduction to Professional Associations in Transportation" that introduced university students and emerging professionals to transportation organizations that offer networking, professional development opportunities, and/or scholarship opportunities. 

Participating organizations include:

• American Planning Association (APA) 
• American Public Transportation Association (APTA)
• American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
• Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT)
• Association of Environmental Professionals (AEP)
• Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO)
• Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE)
• Latinos in Transit (LiT)
• National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)
• Transportation Research Board (TRB)
• US High Speed Rail Association (USHSR)
• Women's Transportation Seminar (WTS)
• Young Professionals in Transportation (YPT)

View Recording.

View Slides.

MTI Student Association hosted a free virtual event to learn tips for perfecting students' scholarship applications for a better chance at funding their education. Speakers joined from transportation associations such as the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO), California Transportation Foundation (CTF), and Women's Transportation Seminar (WTS). Attendees learned about each association's scholarship programs.

*MTI was a proud co-sponsor of this event.

View Recording.

View Slide Deck.

Step into the future of transportation at this Bay Area in-person summit to consider how abundant, affordable, accessible, and safe transportation transforms the ways we move and live. Connect and collaborate with industry leaders, elected officials, disability & environmental justice advocates, and more in a discussion moderated by Mineta Transportation Institute’s Executive Director Dr. Karen Philbrick. Don’t miss this opportunity to be at the forefront of change and discover how we can thrive as a region!

Keynote: Carl Guardino, Chair, California Transportation Commission

Moderator: Dr. Karen Philbrick, Executive Director of the Mineta Transportation Institute

Speakers:

● Mountain View City Councilmember Margaret Abe Koga

● Nathaniel J. Arnold III, Vice President of ATU 192

● Supervisor Cindy Chavez, Santa Clara County

● Dylan Fabris, San Francisco Transit Riders, Voices for Public Transportation

● Christine Fitzgerald, Silicon Valley Independent Living Center, Voices for Public Transportation

● Ren Fitzgerald, Chair of the Berkeley Transportation and Infrastructure Commission, UC Berkeley Student

● Political Director, Rudy Gonzalez, San Francisco Building Trades

● Lateefah Simon, Bay Area Rapid Transit Board Director

*MTI was a proud co-sponsor of this event.

The 2024 “Research to Practice” Transit Symposium took placeOctober 22-24, 2024. The symposium was hosted online and streamed on YouTube. As the transit industry is poised to take advantage of the largest transit and rail investment in our lifetimes, the symposium provided a platform where transit experts share insights on how evidence-based research is being or can be, used to make the most of these opportunities in a changing environment. This year’s symposium focused on the following topics:

• Transit leaders’ perspectives on the future of transit
• Practical applications of transit data
• Transit fare policy
• Transit equity
• Women in transit
• Transit infrastructure costs
• Transit research implementation

The Symposium was convened by a partnership between APTA, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), University of Florida Transportation Institute, the T-SCORE University Transportation Center, and the Mineta Transportation Institute. 

View Day 1 Recording

View Day 2 Recording

View Day 3 Recording

MTI was joined by eager middle school students, dedicated parents, and passionate educators at the Garrett Morgan Sustainable Transportation Competition Information Night. This event served as a gateway to an extraordinary national STEAM competition crafted to educate and engage students by solving our nation’s critical transportation issues. Participants learned how they can participate in the competition, and win prizes as we revealed this year’s Get Going, Go Green competition prompt. 

Learn more about the competition: https://transweb.sjsu.edu/workforce-development/garrett-morgan-program

View the Recording.

View the 2025 Competition Prompt.

Viva CalleSJ (pronounced Vee-Va Ka-Ye SJ) is a free recreational program that closes miles of scenic San José streets. 

Viva CalleSJ’s route takes participants through some of San José’s most eclectic and historic neighborhoods. The open street events bring people and communities together to walk, bike, skate, play and explore the explore the city like never before! It is not a race, so you can start anywhere and have as much fun as you want, in either direction.

MTI was a proud co-sponsor of this event.

SVBC's 14th Annual Silicon Valley Bike Summit is the region's leading gathering for active transportation leaders and advocates. New this year was the Youth Leaders in Active Transportation Award, recognizing the contributions of young advocates. This event provided an opportunity for like-minded individuals to connect, gain insights, and help shape the future of cycling in Silicon Valley and beyond. 

*MTI was a proud co-sponsor of this event.

COMTO Northern California hosted a Summer Intern Reception event designed to introduce students to potential opportunities in the transportation industry. This event aimed to connect interns with industry professionals, offering a platform for networking, mentorship, and career exploration. Students can express interest in gaining insights into various career paths, understanding the latest industry trends, and hearing personal success stories from seasoned professionals. 

COMTO can benefit students by providing access to a wide network of professionals, offering mentorship programs, and facilitating internships and job placements. Through this event, COMTO helped students build valuable connections, gain industry knowledge, and develop the skills necessary for a successful career in transportation. The reception included presentations, Q&A session, and informal networking opportunities, all tailored to help students navigate and thrive in the transportation industry.

*MTI was a proud co-sponsor of this event.

MTI's 2024 MSTI was held weekdays, July 8-26, 2024, M-F 9am-3pm at San José State University. While engaging in stimulating hands-on STEM activities and venturing on exciting local field trips, students learned about transportation innovation and earned 3 transferable college credits in Environmental Studies from San José State University. This program was completely free and open to high school students. 

This program is a crucial step toward building the transportation workforce pipeline. 

View the Program Page

On June 26, 2024, Navajo Technical University and Wingate High School students presented the five programs featured in the 2024 Summer STEM and Skills program. These programs include welding, construction, business, culinary arts, and engineering. The program culminated in the Maker Faire, an event where students displayed their creations from their courses. This event allowed sixty students to exhibit their work and inspire others to pursue their interests.

Navajo Technical University (NTU) aims to make learning enjoyable and interactive, which is reflected in the experience students gain from the Summer STEM & Skills program. The courses are designed to keep students engaged and interested, fostering a passion for the subject areas and encouraging students to explore potential career paths. The program aims to provide students with a unique and engaging learning experience by offering hands-on skills in various fields. This year marks the seventh successful year of the program.

This Research Snaps webinar was co-sponsored by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.

New developments are popping up everywhere, and bringing more economic opportunities, more community engagement, more trips to new and exciting places—and more driving. The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is working with partners to develop a program to reduce the amount of driving generated from new developments, and they called on a team from the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) and San José State University (SJSU) students for help. This collaboration provided assistance in creating an equity framework for VTA’s proposed Equitable Vehicle Miles Traveled Mitigation Program. During the event, attendees heard from the researchers about identified strategies for equitable VMT mitigation programs and effective community engagement processes and how they can be applied to other jurisdictions.

Presenter: Serena Alexander, PhD, MTI Research Associate; Associate Professor, Northeastern University

Moderator: Hilary Nixon, PhD, Deputy Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI)

View Recording

View Slide Deck

View PDH Credit

This Research Snaps webinar was co-sponsored by SJSU's Spatial Analytics and Visualization (SAVI) Center.

Bike networks are growing nationwide—including in San José, which is keen on becoming “one of the most bike-friendly cities in North America.” Expanding bike networks and allocating funds require careful planning to ensure a fair distribution of bike infrastructure, but most assessment methods neglect differences in bike path classes that provide different safety and comfort levels for cyclists. MTI experts discussed an equity assessment of San José’s bike infrastructure, driven by a weighting system for different safety and comfort levels of the urban bike network, and what it could mean for traffic congestion, sustainability, and Bay Area communities. 

Presenter: Ahoura Zandiatashbar, PhD, SJSU Assistant Professor, MTI Research Associate.

Moderator: Hilary Nixon, PhD, Deputy Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI)

*0.5 PDH credit available

View the Recording.

PDH Credit.

The Urban Planning Coalition (UPC) at San José State University hosted its annual Spring Symposium. This year's symposium focused on An Exploration in Urban Planning Careers, providing insights into various career paths within the field of urban planning.

The symposium featured expert speakers and panel discussions covering crucial aspects of urban planning, including transportation planning, housing, and environmental planning. It provided an excellent opportunity for students and professionals interested in urban planning to network, gain valuable knowledge, and explore potential career prospects.

*MTI was a proud co-sponsor of this event.

In celebration of the 2024 Garrett Morgan Sustainable Transportation Competition, USDOT Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research, Development, and Technology's Director Dr. Firas Ibrahim and MTI's Executive Director Dr. Karen Philbrick hosted the annual winner announcement. 

Garrett Augustus Morgan (1877-1963) was one of seven children born in Kentucky to former slaves. After enduring the challenges of farming in the South and having to quit school to earn a living at the age of 14, he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. While working as a handyman in Ohio, Morgan hired a tutor to continue his education, influencing him to open his own business as a clothing manufacturer and start a successful newspaper. Garrett Morgan's innovative drive led him to obtain many patents, but one of his most prominent inventions, the three-way traffic signal, was designed to make roads safer for everyone, especially pedestrians. It is not only for his inventions, but for his innovative spirit and determination for continued education in the face of adversity that MTI is proud to honor this trailblazer through the Garrett Morgan Sustainable Transportation Competition. This year, competing teams were from California and Oklahoma, including the Hamlin School, Peter Hansen Elementary School, Julius Cordes Elementary School, Juan Cabrillo Middle School, Kennedy Middle School, Shawnee Middle School, Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council - Boy Scouts of America, Tom Matsumoto Elementary School, Troop 492 - Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council, Troop 492 - Cupertino Rotary Club, Thornton Middle School, William Hopkins Middle School, and Christa McAuliffe Middle School.

The California Bicycle Summit held in San Diego, April 18-19, 2024, was filled with information sharing, coalition building, networking, and new ideas. A group forming to advocate for bicycle education in K-12 classrooms gathered steam. Large groups visited San Diego’s biking and walking infrastructure. And plenaries and breakout sessions delivered thought-provoking discussions.

Read the program recap here.

*MTI was a proud co-sponsor of this event.

The Garrett Morgan competition teams and affiliated students joined MTI for insider insights into the excitement and challenges of cutting-edge transportation careers. Which subjects in high school pave the way for an exciting high-speed rail job? What are the toughest challenges faced by those working in autonomous vehicle technology companies? Two real-world transportation professionals discussed what it takes to tackle issues of sustainability, safety, equity, and more!

Guest Speakers:

• Yaqeline Castro, Outreach and Student Engagement Specialist, California High-Speed Rail Authority (CAHSRA)
• Dan Pritchell, Policy Operations - Showcases Lead, Waymo

View Recording.

Yaqeline Castro, Outreach and Student Engagement Specialist, California High-Speed Rail Authority (CAHSRA)

As the Student Outreach Specialist, Yaqeline Castro is responsible for stakeholder outreach and strengthening relationships with students and educational institutions statewide. In addition, she supports general stakeholder outreach and external event planning for the communications team and oversees the student I Will Ride program.

Yaqeline first joined the Authority in 2019 as an Executive Fellow with the Capital Fellows program. During her placement year, she was mentored by the Chief of Strategic Communications.

Prior to her time with the Authority, Yaqeline has worked as a policy intern at the US Department of Education strengthening Hispanic student pathways and opportunities in addition to serving three years with the Orientation Department at University of California Merced.

Yaqeline studied anthropology at University of California Merced and has a graduate certificate in public policy from California State University Sacramento. Yaqeline is currently a graduate student at San Jose State’s Master of Science in Transportation Management with a concentration in High-Speed and Intercity Rail Management.

Dan Pritchell, Policy Operations - Showcases Lead, Waymo

Dan Pritchell serves as the Policy Showcases Lead at Waymo - formerly the Google self-driving car project - which makes it safe and easy for people & things to get around with autonomous vehicles. Previously he was the City and Community Engagement Senior Manager at Nuro, working with local governments in Arizona and California regarding Nuro’s autonomous vehicle testing and future services. Prior to joining Nuro Dan co-founded Sheprd, an ‘Uber for Kids’ child transportation startup in Boston, MA, as well as worked for a variety of political campaigns in federal, state, and local elections. Dan earned an M.B.A from UCLA Anderson and a B.A. in Political Studies from Pitzer College.

In honor of Women’s History Month, the Mineta Transportation Institute hosted a series of virtual fireside chats with a diverse panel of women transportation leaders at the apex of success in academia, public and private industries, and the nonprofit sector. During the webinar, participants explored compelling personal narratives and leadership journeys and gained valuable insights into how these leaders balance assertiveness with emotional intelligence, overcoming stereotypes and dispelling misconceptions about perceived weakness. Featured guests also shared invaluable insights as we dove into the profound impact of reshaping perspectives and championing women in the transportation industry and beyond.

Featured Guest: The Honorable Jennifer Homendy, Chair, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)

Moderator: Karen Philbrick, PhD, Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI)

*0.5 PDH credit available

View the Recording.

PDH Credit.

About The Honorable Jennifer Homendy 

Jennifer Homendy [Pronounced: HAH-mendy] was sworn in as the 15th Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board in August 2021 after being nominated by the President and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Chair Homendy has served as the agency’s 44th Board Member since 2018. A tireless safety advocate, Chair Homendy has spent over two decades supporting the critical safety mission of the NTSB, the independent federal agency that investigates crashes in all modes of transportation, determines the probable causes, and issues recommendations to improve transportation safety.

Recognized by Railway Age as a 2023 Woman-in-Rail, she serves on multiple national boards including the current Chair of WTS International and the APTA Executive Committee and has received numerous awards recognizing her success and advocacy including the 2022 American Public Transportation Association’s Business Member of the Year; 2021 WTS Northeast Florida Woman of the Year, 2019 Women of Color STEM Technology All-Star Award; and a 2019 Conference of Minority Transportation Officials’ Women Who Move the Nation honoree.